Momming and Working

This picture of us working this morning makes all the long hours worth it...to see the looks on the audience members' faces, to hear their stories, and to help make connections...all for the good of students is so gratifying.

This pick me up of a post that was shared on the conference's email update of day one of the conference helped to ease my mama's heart. Having driven to Columbus with my colleague after work yesterday, we woke up bright and early today to get ourselves registered and in the room for our presentation. However, prior to all that  I had received messages from my parents and husband saying that Charlotte was upset with a hurting ear. We decided to keep her home and try to get her in for an appointment with the pediatrician.

What timing! This was the first time she complained about her ear hurting and it was when I was 2 hours and 47 minutes away from her. However, my parents were there which was a huge help as I knew she was in good hands with them. In spite of presenting with my colleague for 75 minutes and having 115-120 people attend, my focus became that of trying to get back home ASAP so I could scoop Charlotte up in a huge hug.

An unexpected bonus was that we came out of our session to the news that our manuscript on the content of today's talk *might* be accepted pending revisions. Yippie! Praise God for these small moments of affirmation along the way - - especially when the mom guilt starts creeping in or doubts about trying to serve through the vocation of mamahood and teaching seem to be at odds with each other at times.   Seeing the above picture someone had taken while we were working that wound up being the only picture from a conference session that was posted on the conference's recap of the first day helps me to see that joy can come from multiple sources...through family and through work.  I also was able to get home and see Charlotte just a few hours after her appointment with her pediatrician!  She did wind up having an ear infection in her right ear but seems to be doing better after having started with the medicine. 

See below link for other snapshots from today's first day of the conference https://mailchi.mp/ocali.org/ocalicon_2019_bsp_issue12?e=10dd836da8 .  Pretty cool stuff!  ;)